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Tasram Ghall
'''Tasram Ghall '''is a krogan armorsmith, mercenary and explorer working under the employ of the Holun-Myeri Exploratory Fund. Biography Birth Prior to Tasram Ghall’s birth, his mother was nearly killed when a ship was destroyed on its landing platform during a Turian strike against her clan. She was far enough away to escape the worst of the blast, but she, along with the children she was carrying, nevertheless received a heavy dosage of eezo radiation . Against all odds, Ghall was born on May 23, 791 during the final stages of the Krogan Rebellions. However, his birth did not come without complications. The eezo radiation had done what it was so famous for, latching on to his genetic structure to change him on a cellular level. As with many exposed to the radiation, he was not simply granted access to biotic abilities without paying some other price in return. The radiation had sterilized him and interfered with the formation of his natural, protective krogan plating. It was a devastating thing to realize that the only survivor of the clutch was left in a condition which would likely result in his death in the harsh environment of Tuchanka. However, regardless of his odds of survival, the realities of the Genophage dictated that the clan needed to do everything in their power to try and raise him. The only upside to his existence was the fact that his biotics could potentially make up for the things he lacked from birth. Early Life In an effort to prevent his untimely demise, the clan raised him separate from other krogan. Rather than teaching him how to fight, the clan made use of his sharp mind to raise him to fulfill more practical roles. With the krogan reduced to warring clans, making the most out of whatever scraps of resources could be found was a necessity. This was not only true for food and water, but also for the equipment the krogan used to defend themselves. Ghall was apprenticed by several older krogan in ways of metalworking which did not rely on the many convenient technologies available in the galaxy. The krogan no longer possessed the infrastructure to create an assembly line with which to produce weapons and armor. Instead, they relied on a classic mix of hammers, heat, patience, and craftsmanship. Tasram Ghall immediately took an interest in smithing. It was during his apprenticeship that he began making metal plates to substitute the natural ones he lacked. With each new set of plates, his designs became more refined, and the metal used thicker. Fully grown, he was regularly strapping nearly 100 kg of steel to his body every day, and working rigorously at his forge, making whatever tools or parts he could that the clan needed. A side effect of this rigorous lifestyle was the building up of his thick, dense musculature. Even without the metal, he weighed considerably more than an average krogan. His muscular build, along with his inherent need to improve his own protection served to refine his skills well, but they did little to change the alienation he lived in. Even by the time he was 40 years old, the name Ironhide was often used as a point of mockery by his peers. It didn’t matter if his solution was as, if not more effective than the gifts krogan were born with; he was different, and he was not a combatant. In those early years, clan hostilities were relatively low. Most were still recovering from the loss of the rebellion, but it was a peace which would not last forever. The clans eventually grew restless and began attacking more frequently. Out of necessity, Ghall was forced into the front lines to help fight for the clan. To him, It marked a big changing point in his life. His size and biotic abilities saw him flourishing on the battlefield. He became an avid user of warhammers, making use of his smithing skills to create weapons which suited his fighting style. Leaving the Homeworld Unfortunately, the change came in the form of a realization, rather than an embracing of what he had thought he was missing in life. While well suited for combat, he never seemed to have the same bloodlust as others. Not to mention the fact that they still did not treat him as a proper member of the clan. He was over two centuries old, yet his peers still would not accept him. Add to that the fact that female clans would have nothing to do with a sterile male, and he eventually grew frustrated with his life on Tuchanka. The Galaxy was at that point still a mystery to him, but he knew that whatever lied out there would be infinitely more rewarding that the pointless clan wars of the Krogan. In hindsight, Ghall might have spent more time preparing for the departure of his homework. As it was, he abandoned Tuchanka with little knowledge on how to apply himself outside of simple mercenary work. His craftsmanship was admirable, but it was not something he could easily make much use of in a Galaxy with such advanced means of mass production. Being a mercenary was not something he particularly enjoyed, but it carried the benefit of taking him to many places. Every time he went somewhere new, he made it a point to study the architecture and machinery he came across. It was absolutely fascinating for him to see the ways different cultures expressed their values in the designs of their creations. From the functional designs of the turians, to the sleek shapes of the asari, to the crafty solutions the salarians used to cover up their technology, everything served to proudly showcase the history of the people who made them. Throughout his time as both a freelance and organizational mercenary, he continued to forge his own armors, combining the elements of the various places he’d been to, or simply creating pieces inspired by one particular culture. It wasn’t until he was a little over 400 years old that an opportunity to abandon the mercenary lifestyle presented itself. Armored Investment While waiting for a salarian dignitary he'd been tasked with escorting, Ghall was approached by an asari matriarch named Aeva. The armor he was wearing at the time, a set of polished steel alloy which was heavily influenced by old asari sculptures, had caught her attention. As it turned out, she was a wealthy businesswoman with a passion for collecting unique items of interest. Upon hearing that he’d forged it himself, and done so entirely by hand without the aid of machinery, she offered him a price that simply blew him away. It had never occurred to him that his work could be so highly valued. Admittedly, good business practices and understanding market value were not something his training on Tuchanka and life as a mercenary ever covered. Ghall never even finished his contract that day. Hopefully the salarian ended up alright, but it didn't exactly matter to him. Aeva bought the armor, and seeing potential in his talent, offered to invest in him. Thanks to her help, not only with the initial finances, but also through some basic education, Ghall managed to establish his own small business, the Ironhide Forge. It was not the kind of operation which would make him rich, as customers were rare to come by, but it was enough for him to settle and live comfortably, doing what he enjoyed doing. What more could he ask for? Centuries passed by while he continued to do metalworking for a living. He still took the odd mercenary contract from time to time out of curiosity, but most of it was spent living content. Each piece he made was exceptionally expensive, and customers were rare. This afforded him the ability to frequently vacation to the far reaches of the galaxy, where he continued to study the nuances within cultures. At times, he'd find one that warranted longer study, in which case he would relocate his forge to that world or colony. It was while living in these varied locations and interacting with countless people, that he truly experienced what it was like to love and share the bond of friendship, making it also the first time where he experienced the of loss of those things. Morbid Millenial Long life such as experienced by krogan and asari was truly both a blessing and a curse. One after another, he sat by the deathbeds of those to whom he had grown close. Even Aeva, the woman who had made his life possible, and the woman he had grown to love, eventually passed away. The losses simply continued adding up. Ghall’s vacations became more infrequent. His desire to do things outside of the forge gradually weigned. Over the course of over 1300 years, he had experienced what he felt was everything he could experience. There were few places he hadn’t seen, and few creatures he hadn’t fought at some point or another. The only thing left seemed to be the observing of history, but that was a slow process which did not require much dedication. Approaching more recent years, his general disinterest in the goings on continued to dwindle. He’d finally settled down on the Citadel, but less personal exposure led to fewer dedicated contracts and orders. The elaborate armors and blades he once produced were now largely replaced by custom parts, and small, interesting trinkets that he sold to anyone who stumbled across his store. All in all, he'd accepted that this was likely how things would be until he finally kicked the bucket, whenever that might be. It was during this time that Ghall received an email from the Holun-Myeri Exploratory Fund. The message was vague, but the name of the organization caught his attention. He agreed to meeting with the agent, assuming that he was about to receive some large order for some crazy project; it wouldn't have been the first time. However, the agent turned out to be about as vague as the email. The silver-tongued man wove the prologue to a grand adventure for something which had never done before. A quest which would include the single most qualified people from all around the Galaxy, and that he, Ghall, had been hand chosen to be one of them. It was a grandiose speech, hinting at an experience that was likely without equal. Ghall turned it down immediately. He was old, one of the oldest Krogan alive. Exploration? Adventure? Those days were long behind him, and he was content in his forge. After 1392 years, what could the Galaxy possibly have left to offer? Second Thoughts and a Second Life Ghall returned to his forge, finding himself unable to focus properly. For whatever reason, his thoughts continually returned to to the man's offer. It was an infuriating experience, but one that reminded him of events from nearly a millennia ago. Once upon a time, he had taken a gamble. He accepted an offer from a woman with no guarantee for success, and it had turned into the best life he could have hoped for. Now he sat in his forge, content, but could he honestly call himself happy? How had things come to this? A simple question, but one he had a difficult time answering. What he realized after some time, was that it was not the metalworking itself that made him happy. It was the experiences which inspired his art that fulfilled him for all those years. Without something new to evolve his works, forging was simply banging metal on metal. The choice was quite simple after that. Ghall reached out to the agent again and accepted the ride to Virmire. Personality In case it has not been mentioned before, Tasram Ghall is old as dirt. It's not a point in life a krogan is likely to reach by acting according to his emotions. Though not necessarily cool and calculated like some master strategist, he is not one to often act on pure impulse. This inherent patience translates into a relatively leisurely demeanour in his day to day life, giving credence to the incredible age he’s achieved. With such a long life, Ghall finds himself at a point where he does not pursue many of the things associated with youth. He no longer finds himself craving for social interaction, nor does he go out searching for loving relationships.This is not to say he is not approachable. If engaged by another, he will happily carry a conversation indefinitely. With experience like his, there’s really not a lot he can’t talk about, though it's the conversations regarding history or metalworking that he usually enjoys the most. Embracing a lifestyle which involves fewer distractions has allowed him to expand upon his own skills and passions. Throughout his life, he’s had a passion for metal working. Heating and hammering alloys into shape just like the krogan of old gives him not only a connection to a history and art long thought dead, but it also serves as a reminder of where he himself has come from. When working on a piece, he’ll easily become lost in his task. It is as though the world around him disappears for a while, and hours fly by in minutes. Ghall is generally a friendly krogan to speak with, but there are a few ‘grumpy old man’ qualities that he does not escape. For one, he has a tendency to refer to people by their age relative to his own, commonly naming them things like kid, child, or whelp. He also has a hard time not trying to give advice, which can be annoying to some. However, those close to him will often describe him as a father figure in their lives. Of course, that does mean he’ll scold a grown man like his own child, but it also means that there are few lengths he will not go to in order to take care of them. Physical Description Ancient even by krogan standards, Ghall carries an intimidating form that is anything but natural. His hide is dark and devoid of all color, making his gold eyes seem to glow by contrast. He’s a relatively average example of his race, standing at 2.13m, with extremely heavy musculature. However, his sheer size does not fully account for his staggering 250 kg frame. Ghall was born with a genetic mutation which adversely affected the growth of the protective plating krogan typically develop over the course of their lives. As a result, a majority of his plates never formed in the first place, while those that did turned out weak and flimsy, providing no more protection than the skin beneath. Without plating on his back, he’s also adopted an oddly upright stance for a krogan, placing the top of his head slightly above his hump. Ghall is generally fairly conservative in his movements. He does not energetically throw his arms around or bounce with excitement. Unless it is strictly necessary to do otherwise, he tends to walk slowly and often look for places to sit. An unfortunate side effect of spending early years growing up without plating was weakened cartilage in the joints of his legs and back, resulting in arthritis which he has carried throughout his life. Despite the discomfort caused by this, he stubbornly refuses to remove his armor and artificial plating, citing that it would only be a temporary solution that would ultimately place him in a worse position further down the road. Armament Ghall's lack of natural protection has led to a need for an artificial substitute, which he has accomplished through thick, angular pieces of metal armor of his own making which attach through threaded sleeves embedded in his skeletal structure and hide. These have seen countless iterations over the course of his lifetime, sometimes changing simply out of vanity. In particular, he currently has three different headplates that he likes to switch between, depending on the occasion. One which is intricately engraved and shaped in order to show off his craftsmanship, and the other two which are designed in a more functional manner. The first, and most common, features angular geometric shapes to help deflect bullets and strikes. The other is more ornate, but generally designed for a physical combat style, featuring twin horns which curve around back and jut out forward like sharp tusks. Beyond his unusual body plating, Ghall does not wear any traditional armor found throughout the galaxy. Since he makes his own body plating, he has further developed his skill to making entire sets of armors. The set he wears at this point is a blackened alloy with very little reflection to it. Being short on modern tech, the armor instead makes up for defensive capabilities with thick plating and nearly 100% body coverage. Like his preferred headplate, his current armor is made of flat, geometric shapes angled to deflect incoming attacks, giving him a very tank-like appearance. His omni-tool is equipped with the abilities Flamethrower, Cryo Beam and Overload, and he utilizes his biotics successfully in combat as well. He carries with him a Krogan Warhammer and a Striker Assault Rifle. Category:Krogan Category:Characters Category:Holun-Myeri Exploratory Fund Category:Mercenaries Category:Armorsmiths Category:Explorers Category:Clan Tasram